Compare Prices : Toshiba HD-EP30

Review summary: Considering Toshiba's original entry-level HD DVD player, the HD-E1, only launched towards the end of 2006 at a price of £450, it's remarkable that its direct replacement, the HD-EP30, is widely on sale for less than half as much

Pros: Low price, Up to 1080p/24fps output, Includes Ethernet LAN port

Cons: Lacks picture settings, HDMI v1.2 not 1.3, No analogue multichannel audio output

Verdict: With improved technology and a reduced price, Toshiba continues to make HD DVD an attractive proposition.

Review summary: The HD-EP30's HD DVD playback is offered up to full 1080p quality, and for less than £200

Pros: Low price, Up to 1080p/24fps output, Includes Ethernet LAN port

Cons: Lacks picture settings, HDMI v1.2 not 1.3, No analogue multichannel audio output

Verdict: Despite price drops all round, the HD-EP30 is still more affordable than the cheapest Blu-ray players. If you take into account this generation's addition of 1080p/24fps output and the generally decent audio-visual performance from HD and conventional ...

Review summary: The Toshiba HD-EP30 has much to live up to and with 1080p playback, it's well on its way. It also supports 24p out of the box, not to mention DTS HD, Dolby True HD and Dolby Digital Plus output options. With great detail and accurate colours on HD DVD ...

Pros: 1080p/24p support ; picture quality ; sound quality ; easy to use ; plays HD DVDs from anywhere in the world

Cons: No analogue 5.1 audio outputs ; a bit slow to play discs ; no multi-region DVD support

Verdict: The Toshiba HD-EP30 is a good, low-cost way of getting into HD movies. It offers an upgrade to 1080p over the HD-E1. Our only major complaint is the lack of analogue audio outputs. Solid HD and upscaled DVD performance wins it our respect

Award: Recommended!

Review summary: Features-for-money, HD DVD players certainly appear to be beating their Blu-ray counterparts. Here's yet another example...

Verdict: There's no question that the HD-EP30 represents superb value for money, boasting a killer feature list and awesome hi-def picture quality for around the -200 mark. The only question is whether you should opt for the pricier HD-EP35 or hold out for one ...